


It may be now, or never

by Terrasilvershade



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood, Blood and Injury, First Kiss, Hurt Tony Stark, Love Confessions, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, Nat knew all along, Superhusbands, fluff at the end, they really love each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 13:47:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18551011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Terrasilvershade/pseuds/Terrasilvershade
Summary: Steve and Tony are fighting HYDRA and Tony is hurt. Badly. This may be their only chance to confess their love.





	It may be now, or never

This wasn't supposed to happen; it was a typical infiltration mission into a HYDRA base but it went wrong from the very start. The Avengers were planning on taking them by surprise but it was if the enemy was prepared for them. They didn't stand a chance.  


Steve tried ordering a retreat but they were too scattered and frazzled to respond. The only person that was by him was Tony, who was trying his best to regain control of the situation. He fired repulsor blasts in the direction of the HYDRA agents who were shooting at them but didn't hit anybody, much to his dismay.  


“We’re not getting out with them waiting up there, but I can't get a good shot from here. Got any ideas Cap?” Steve noticed the panic in his voice, layered under his typical cockiness but he knew the engineer well enough to see right through it. It was very unlikely that they’d all make it out unharmed, Steve just hoped nobody would be killed.  


Steve peaked out from behind his cover and just barely drew his shield up in time to block the incoming bullet, the sound of echoing in his ears. Yes, both of their uniforms were mostly bulletproof but they weren't flawless and eventually one of them was going to get hurt if they tried to leave with the gunmen.  


“Steve?” Tony was kneeling a few feet away from Steve and he had opened his faceplate. “I’m going to fly out there to get a better shot, when I do I want you to r-”  


“No way Tony, I’m not leaving you behind.”  


"I’ll be fine, my suit’s stronger than yours.” Steve still didn't like it. He had lost friends like this in the war years ago and he wasn't prepared for that to happen to Tony. He couldn't lose him before he told him…  


Tony must've known Steve would never agree to his plan so instead of waiting for a response, he closed his faceplate and flew up into the air and began firing. Steve heard gunshots and the sounds of bullets against metal before Tony yelled,  


“Run!” He ran out into the hail of bullets, noting that Tony was following him, and they had both nearly escaped when Tony cried out in pain, his suit falling to the floor in a heap.  


Without hesitation Steve turned around and grabbed Tony’s arm, shielding them while wrapping his arm around Steve’s shoulder. The suit plus Tony was incredibly heavy but not enough that Steve couldn't support his weight while running. He was, however, slowed down.  


Tony was unresponsive when Steve first picked him up but he slowly came to as the two of them came closer and closer to getting out. Steve could hear his breathing over the comms: heavy, ragged, and labored. He didn't want to examine Tony’s wound until they were safe but the chances of it being a superficial wound began diminishing and it slowly became apparent that he was seriously hurt.  


“Just hold on Tony, we’re almost out.”  


“Don’t worry Cap, I’m not *cough* going anywhere.” That wasn't reassuring; the scratchy strained voice coupled with the wet cough. It was all pointing to a chest injury, which can go from ok to dead in a couple of minutes. He needed to get Tony out of there ASAP.  


After several excruciating minutes of half-sprinting Steve and Tony finally reached the exit and went outside, the setting sun making the sky glow an appropriate blood-red. God must've been on their side because once they reached the end of the compound they were able to throw the HYDRA agents off their trail, not forever but long enough that Steve could look at Tony’s injuries.  
He found a thicketed area and gently lowered him onto the ground and began to remove the armor.  


“What-what are you doing?”  


“I need to stabilize you until we can regroup with the others.” He carefully removed the helmet and his heart dropped when he saw Tony’s pale bluish skin, a sign of insufficient oxygen. He refused to meet Steve’s eyes, especially after he saw the blood leaking out of the chestplate.  


Tony had been shot repeatedly in the chest and a couple of them had broken through the metal, both the bullets and the armor shrapnel had dug deep into his skin. Steve wasn't sure if he could get the suit off without dragging that shrapnel along Tony’s torso but if one of his lungs had been damaged they were working against the clock.  


“Tony, I’m going to take this off. Try to stay as still as you can, ok?” He got no response, just him staring off into the distance. As gently as he could, Steve pushed the release and lifted the metal off Tony, catching one or two snags in the process but Tony didn't even wince.  


“Tony?” Steve went to check his pulse but the brunet stopped him and finally looked him in the eye. The look was so serious it made a chill run up his spine; it was a look Steve had only seen once or twice.  


“Steve, I am going to die. You can’t save me.”  


“You’re going to be-”  


“My lung’s been hit. I have barely been able to breathe for the last twenty minutes and everything’s starting to go fuzzy. Even if you were able to get me to the medical team right now I wouldn’t make it to the hospital. And,” he swallowed hard and they both fought back tears, “HYDRA will find us eventually. You can get to safety.” Steve shook his head, not believing what he was hearing.  


“I will not leave you.” Tony groaned, in disgust and annoyance rather than of pain.  


“Jesus Christ Steve, stop being so damn chivalrous and think of self-preservation for once in your life. If they find you they will shoot you and then we’ll both die.” He raised his voice which caused him to cough violently, blood spurting out of his chest and mouth. Steve opened the small first aid kit he lept in his uniform, which was not equipped to handle this situation, and pressed down on the largest wound on Tony’s chest, which was just to the left of the arc reactor. Air entered and exited the hole as Tony breathed, which meant that it had torn through to his lung, as he had said. Within a few seconds, the bandage was soaked through but he kept holding it there because he was not letting Tony die like this.  


“Steve…” Tony’s weak voice was heartbreaking and he had visible tears in his eyes. He turned to face Steve and put his cold and clammy hand against his face, but Steve only felt warmth as Tony slowly pulled him close and kissed him.  
Those couple seconds were the best in Steve’s life but it was quickly ruined by Tony falling still. Deathly still. His heart rate was still increased from the intense blood loss but it got weaker with every beat. He was running out of time.  


“You’ll be ok.” He whispered, not knowing who he was trying to convince, “You’ll be ok.” Steve pressed another bandage to his wounds, trying to do anything to save his new love.  
Just as it looked like he was making headway he heard the sounds of shouting and the rumbling of car engines; HYDRA had decided to show their ugly heads again. Tony’s internal injuries were severe enough that he should not be moved but he couldn't be saved by a dead man.  


He gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead before picking him up and running deeper into the underbrush and forest, Tony’s head lolling on his shoulder. Steve could feel the blood smearing onto his uniform and he prayed that they wouldn’t be too late.  
Luckily he was blessed with another miracle. Steve heard the familiar whirring of a SHIELD quinjet and when he looked up there was a battered and bruised Natasha looking down at him. She saw the unconscious Tony in his arms and ordered the pilot to lower the jet, not wasting any time.

“After your comms when down we suspected the worst,” she looked over at Tony’s frail body, currently being looked over by their medical team, and then back at Steve’s sullen face, “I’m glad we were able to find you in time.” Her words went in one ear and out the other; Steve was hyper-focused on every little thing the doctors were doing to Tony.  
They had put an oxygen mask on him and an iv in his arm, as well as a heart monitor. The placement was awkward since his chest was full of holes but the quiet beeping was all Steve could hear. The doctors were doing their best but it was obvious that it was an uphill battle that they were losing.  
As he watched his chest rise and fall Steve began thinking of all the times he could’ve made the first move, when he could’ve told Tony how he felt. They might’ve had a life together but now he was afraid that one kiss could be it. He was an optimist by nature but seeing the half-dead body of his almost partner he was anything but hopeful. 

Tony was taken into emergency surgery the second they reached the nearest hospital, Steve tried to block out the dire words of the staff as they rushed him down the hallway but he couldn’t ignore it all. Once they had taken Tony away he began to cry, not caring that Nat and Clint were there. He let all of his emotions out instead of keeping them inside until he exploded. Time blended together until Steve was out of tears and his throat was raw. He didn't notice the surgeon standing in front of him until Nat tapped on his back.  


“Excuse me, are you the group with Tony Stark?” Steve perked his head up, not even wiping his face, and said,  


“Y-yeah. Is he-did he-”  


“Relax, he’s been stabilized. We’re keeping him in ICU until we’re confident he can breathe on his own again but his chances are steadily improving.” It was as if his asthma had been cured again; Steve could finally breathe again. “You can visit one at a time, just try not to disturb him. He’s still out of it but he needs to rest in order to heal.” Steve nodded and then looked back at the other two people next to him, asking for permission.  


“Go on, we’ll wait here while you visit your boyfriend.” He stood up and took a couple of steps before realizing what Nat had said. He turned around and she just smiled and winked. He should’ve known better than trying to hide something from her.

Tony looked leaps and bounds better than he did on the jet, even though he now had a tube down his throat and was hooked up to a ventilator. But he had color back in his face and he could see heavy-duty bandages underneath the heart monitor pads. He was going to be ok. Steve pulled a chair up next to the bed and took Tony’s hand, feeling the roughness of the callouses but it was nice and warm now that he wasn't in shock.  
He sat there for hours, which Clint or Nat could have taken his spot but they let him stay there, and he didn't even notice that the better part of a day had passed until he could see the golden-red rays of a sunset seep through the cheap hospital blinds. He didn't worry about sleep, just his Tony.  


His wait was worth it. Tony’s eyes flickered open and he tried to move his head but the tube in his throat prevented him from doing that. Steve called for a nurse who quickly came and removed the ventilator as well as jotting down Tony’s vitals. There were ten excruciating minutes where Steve was forced to stand at the end of the room and wait until he got some alone time with him.  
When she finally left Steve resumed his post at Tony’s side and embraced him as much as the bandages and monitors could allow. He never wanted to let go, but Tony was tensed underneath him and he reluctantly let go. He had a bewildered look on his face before his eyes widened and his face went as red as it could in his condition.  


“That uh...that wasn't a dream then.”  


“You kissing me?”  


“I uh-yeah. That. In my defence, I was delirious from blood loss and oxygen deprivation and I couldn’t really think clearly.” Steve chuckled, Tony was fumbling over his words in a way that he found incredibly adorable. He tentatively placed his hand on Tony’s cheek, mirroring what the brunet had done to him, and they both stared deep into each other's eyes.  


“May I kiss you?” Tony was not expecting Steve to ask for permission, if he hadn't just dodged death he would have died of embarrassment right then and there. He was so shook that he forgot to give Steve an answer. The poor guy was just standing there with intense eyes, looking at him in a way he had never experienced.  


“Yes.” Steve was incredibly gentle, not wanting to hurt Tony, but he was counting down the days until he could use Tony’s mouth to its full potential. For now, they were simply cementing their feelings for one another with light touches and warmth.  


“If I had known all I needed to do to get you to kiss me was to nearly die, I would’ve done it a long time ago.”  


“Technically, you kissed me first.”


End file.
